Evaluation of the Heliosat-4 and Flashflux Models for Solar Global Daily Irradiation Estimate in Uruguay
Abstract
Solar resource assessment is a fundamental part of solar energy projects risk evaluation. In absence of in-situ measurement or well-calibrated satellite-based estimates, stakeholders tend to rely in freely available solar irradiation data sets. In this work we provide a performance assessment of Heliosat-4 (CAMS) and FLASHFlux (NASA) models for Uruguay. It is found that both models present low bias and a rRMSD of 10.0% and 11.6%, respectively, making the former a better option from the end-user perspective. Evidence that the FLASHFlux model overestimate irradiation for coastal oceanic stations is given. The uncertainty obtained for these models is higher than previously locally adjusted satellite-based models, which remain as the best option for the region.